Topic : Picky Eaters

Children are not born with clock's in their tummies.

A pediatrician once told me that in India, where he was raised, you eat when hungry..Not because it is 7am, noon, and 6 pm.

He also said that nobody will ever only eat one thing for their entire lives.

Visualize a 17 year old at a graduation party refusing to eat anything but PB&J. It just doesn't happen.

IMO, we place too much importance on scheduling our children' s eating and sleeping habits.

As long as your child is giving you cues that you are following, I'm guessing that they will grow to be healthy and strong.

Choose your battles.

Grazing is actually far healthier than eating only 3 meals a day. It is not for cows, it is for toddlers too.

My toddler has so much energy that she will eat constantly throughout the day, and if she falls short on her caloric intake, she is a rottten mess.

I don't mean to compare my two children but I have two the very opposite of one another.  One is willing to try most of the foods I offer to him (protein eater and some vegetables and fruit) and the other child happens to be an extremely picky eater.  (Like you said very strong willed, will starve himself to death if I let him).  

I have done all the same things to introduce solid foods to both children.  I would serve a protein, starch and vegetable on the table almost every night except I started my second son at 6 months old by giving him little pieces of my food to eat and he loved it.  However,  my picky eater who is 5 years old today is an extremely picky eater and has been since he was a baby.  He was somewhat colic as an infant and would suffer from acid reflux and his formula would come up on him often but the doctor called it normal infant behavor and said he will grow out of his reflux (at the time there wasn't any real medication for it to ease the reflux).  It was a chore when it came time to feed him table food for the first time at 8 months old.  The only way he would try the foods unless I feed him myself with the fork or spoon, then if he decided he liked it, he would eat it on his own (there were not to many foods he would try or eat even if I did spoon feed him myself).  If I allowed him to he would have stayed on jar food as long as a I let him but I stopped the jar food at 18 months old.  He also has a severe food allergy (sometimes they say it is a precautionary mechanism for them to be picky, who knows).  He would not eat cake, icecream, etc. all the junk food at a year old (he didn't even have his 1st year old birthday cake).  Also, did not like to be messy.  Had to use playdoh to get him used to feeling on his hands.  I think this an extrasensory issue for him.  He is starting to grow out of these stages but few still stand with the eating habits.  He won't even try a food.  Even if it is on the table he gags and will almost throw up.  So therefore I give him what he likes, mac and cheese, grill cheese, french fries (smiley's from McCain) chicken nuggets, pizza, applesauce, yogurt, past with sauce. 

I tried the two bite method, force feeding, etc. none of that works, it is in their control. 

I feel for you because I go through the same thing, however, I know he will not walk down the aisle eating chicken nuggets his whole life so basically I just give him what he eats and I think someday when he is ready he will try new foods.

My children have all gone thru the not eating stage. My youngest (age 4) is currently doing this. The doctor said it is nothing to worry about, all kids go thru this. We give her those little nutripals drinks on her no eating days. She loves them and it makes me feel better about at least getting something in her!

My 18 month granddaughter doesn't like vegetables and would spit them out even if they were mixed with some of her favorite foods.  Once she gets a taste of something she doesn't like, she refuses to eat anything on her plate in fear she might not like the taste.  I found that now she is old enough to help, she helps me cook dinner when she is here.  I let her pour the corn or peas into the pan, put in the seasoning and while she isn't old enough to be close to the stove she stands on a chair on the other side of me while I cook on the stove.  It is surprising how she eats her vegetables now, telling me "mmmm" the whole time she eats.  Her eating habits have improved and she is more likely to try new things when she "helps" make them.  I let her butter her bread for grilled cheese sandwiches with her own little knife that came in her dinnerware kit.  We might have a bigger mess when we are done but as my mother in law use to tell me when cooking with my daughter "We aren't making messes, we are making memories"

hi All,

I have a 20 month old daughter that has been a difficult eater since about 8-9 months (couple of months after starting to spoon feed her). She has had her up & down moments, somedays making it Ok to spoon feed her and some other days crying and screaming and not allowing to put 1 spoonfull in her mouth.

Lately she is becoming so difficult that i cannot sit her in her high chair without her fussing and crying the second she sees me with that spoon. That includes yogurt that used to be her favorite meal time. Another thing I want to tell you is that she is 20 months old and has only 4 teeth in the bottom, one molar and 2 upper fron teeth and an upper molar. All her gums are swollen...

She will only accept the bottle so her brekfast consist of fruit, cereal, mild and egg yolk smoothie whereas her lunch is vegetables blended in beef/chicken concentrate - ONLY from the bottle though. I try the spoon and she screams... B/c I dont want her to go without eating I am obliged to put in in a bottle and .. of course she drinks it, at least most of the time.

She is NOT interested in table food, and hates when food touches her hands. She only does OK with cheerios, gold fish, plain bread and other cookies. The other day I was having a bagel with cream cheese and the second she accidently touched my cream cheese she screamed for me to clean her hands...

How do I get her interested in other foods but pureed or smoothies??

She literly never opens her mouth wide even on the good days when she'll let you feed her. Have you ever seen someone eat with her lips parted just a tiny bit???

Is this the strangest thing or what???

Thanks a Million for any advices.

Ahh weight wise and height wise she is OK, I think 80% or so where she should be.

Perhaps you should take her to a pediatric dentist to make sure her teeth aren't coming in sideways or have some gum troubles.  My oldest son's eye teeth were coming in sideways and he had to have them guided in. 

She may be having trouble eating if her gums are hurting.  Before meals give her one of those plastic ice pops without opening it to numb them a little. 

She is old enough to be feeding herself and if she doesn't eat it all, that is ok.  Let her work with some soft finger foods like canned peaches or pears.  I wouldn't give her the junk food without improving her eating habits first.  She isn't going to starve if you don't offer them to her while she adjusts to eating healthy choices.  My granddaughter doesn't like the food on her hands either.  She is 19 months old and we just give her a napkin that she can wipe her hands on when she wants.  Also the bottle is a easy feed, it doesn't help your case if she finds it much easier to drink the food in her bottle then to actually have to chew and feed herself.  Give her the food and the spoon and let her learn to eat, even if it makes a huge mess.